Cold

"Look how great our snowman has turned out, 2626," invited the youngest neutrophil to have a look at his and the little platelet-leader's masterpiece: a snowman. "Nice, very nice," answered 2626, before covering the girl's ears and turning to his coworker again. "Listen here, you asshole, we're at work, there are cells dying of hypothermia, and you're building snowmen." "Cells are dying every day, there aren't any wounds, everything's normal... Hey, and how about us building a snowman together~?" 4989 justified himself. "No." "Come on, let's play~" "You're so dang annoying..." *** At the erythrocyte-basis, everything was in chaos. Precisely, the red blood cells were the most affected by the sudden cold. The troop leader had just now ordered to give priority to the vital organs, leaving the upper and lower extremities aside. At least, until the body temperature would have gone back to normal again. A young delivery girl, a red-haired newbie with a tendency to get lost, had just now hung up the phone. The caller had been a cell from the right hand, begging for an oxygen delivery. "Sir, there is an urgent order from the right upper extremity..." "I'm sorry, AE3803, that's not possible. Our priority are the vital organs now, and besides that would be suicide." AE felt very bad, since that cell had sounded quite desperate. It must be horrible to wait for something that would never come, and as a tissue-cell he couldn't just leave his home, even being isolated from everything... But he was lucky that AE3803 was the one to have responded to his call, because she would bring him oxygen, even risking punishment for that, because it was her job. She bravely snuck out, took a cart, two boxes of oxygen and two baskets with nutrients ("better too much than not enough," she said to herself) and departed to the right hand. Having reached the elbow, the cold started to pierce the poor red-haired girl's skin. The path was becoming more difficult and solitary. "Come on, AE3803, you can do it, you can. There's a life depending on you." She was cheering herself on, bravely moving forward with her load, even though her small body started to feel the effects of the cold. Having arrived to the wrist, she tried to keep her eyes on the way before her. She was completely alone, it was very dark, even colder than before, and from a distance she could spot purple mountains of frozen "blood" and got scared. Her mind was telling her "Return to the base!", but her heart was screaming "Come on, AE! You've come way too far to give up now! There's a life depending on you!". She looked at the map from time to time. It wasn't the right moment to get lost, this time it was a matter of life and death. "I need, I need, I need to reach the index finger... I'm almost there, almost there... Good grief, it's so cold it hurts to breathe." Her vision started to blur, her legs were shaking, she could barely feel her hands, and her face was so cold it was burning. She was so concentrated on reaching her destination that she didn't even stop to look at the odd snowman decorating the road. "Here it is..." She rang the doorbell, and a cell with tears in his eyes threw himself at her with a hug. "You saved us!" yelled another cell from inside. "I am just doing my job," she replied humbly, handing over the delivery, glad that it had occurred to her to take more than ordered. Like this, these cells could share and live a bit longer. The homeowner invited her to take shelter, but she refused. Maybe if she returned to the base and went to make deliveries to the vital organs, her fault would be overlooked, but for this, she had to return quickly. She took back the way she had come from, but the cold was getting even more intense. Her legs gave in, and she fell on her knees into the snow. Without even being able to feel her hands anymore, she raised her gaze and spotted a weirdly decorated snowman in the distance.  "He, it reminds me of Hakkekkyuu-san..." she muttered before collapsing onto the cold snow on the path. The young neutrophil was carrying the little platelet-leader on his shoulders. Suddenly, the girl pointed at something. "Mister 4989, look, a dead red blood cell," she murmured. "Poor thing, they can't endure the cold like we do... wait, that curl! 1146'S GIRLFRIEND!" The neutrophil placed the child on the ground and rushed over to AE, carefully turning her onto her back. She was very cold, very weak, but still breathing... barely. "What luck! She's alive! Leader-chan, bring the cart that's over there." The girl brought the cart the erythrocyte had used before and climbed on it. The neutrophil covered AE with his jacket and laid her on the cart, running as fast as he could to the station belonging to the U-division in the neck-area. Having arrived, he opened the door wide, carried the red blood cell in his arms and placed her on the sofa. 2048 and 2626 were also at the station and came to look what the matter was, as soon as they heard the door's noise. "Hey, 89, put your uniform on, or you'll free-... Damn! What happened to her?! Is she alive?" asked 2626, running to the sofa and covering the young woman with his own jacket as well. "This poor girl is almost frozen to death. Her lips are blue. Bring a blanket and hot water!" 4989 was almost begging. 2048 brought the needed things. The three guys and the little platelet were looking with worry at the young woman suffering from the cold. Trembling, she slowly opened her eyes. "Where am I?" "Oh, little one... you're at our base. It's okay, you'll get well. What were you actually doing in the coldest zone?" inquired 4989, rubbing her hands, without managing to warm them up. "Someone had to deliver oxygen there, or those cells would have died..." she replied with a quiet and broken voice and then shuddered. "Ouch, it hurts." "As far as I know, you were ordered to only make deliveries to the vital organs, not to the extremities," commented 2048. "I know, but I just couldn't let these poor cells die... Ouch, if I hadn't done it, no one would have. Losing a drop of blood wouldn't make any difference in this world, but... Ouch, losing these cells would. I don't have a nucleus, I can't divide, but they can, they can continue giving life... While the only way for me to leave my mark in this world is doing my job," she answered. The other four cells exchanged worried gazes. When an erythrocyte was damaged, recovery was very difficult. The cold was able to solidify every liquid, and the delivery girl's small body was so cold it hurt. "*sob* Little hero... Buaaah! *sob* I'll care for you, AE-chan!" The youngest neutrophil hugged her, offering her his body heat. The platelet did the same. The other two guys wiped off a tear in secret, moved by that small delivery girl's nobleness. And hugged her as well, trying to give her some warmth. "I'll care for you too!" exclaimed 2626. "We all will!" added 2048. She kept on shaking under that "cellular blanket". Of course, she was very grateful and happy for all that care and affection, but the cold still wasn't getting better, and she continued to suffer from it. And now, a tired and limping U-1146 entered the base, his cap covered with frost. He was baffled when he saw the group hugging his "wrapped Sekkekkyuu ". "Could someone explain this to me or make me a drawing?" he asked surprised, without understanding the gravity of the matter. The little platelet approached him and made him a sign to bend down, so she could whisper into his ear. He did. "Mister Neutrophil, what happened is that Miss Red Blood Cell is affected by hypothermia. She's feeling very bad, and we can't manage to warm her up... The cold is doing her harm and hurting her a lot." The adult gulped, headed to his friends despite his limp produced by a bacterial attack, and touched the erythrocyte's face. He could feel the coldness of her skin even through his glove and got terrified. "Hakkekkyuu-san, is your leg alright?" These words were like another punch to the chest for the other cells. Even being that weak, that hurting, that vulnerable... she was still worried about 1146. No one could deny that. "You lucky bastard," muttered 2048. Yes, 1146 was really lucky to have such a great and sweet girl caring about his well-being. "I'll be alright, and you too. Sekkekkyuu, are you wearing your uniform?" "Yes." "So that means that it hasn't occurred to anyone of you to take off her soaked through and icy clothes?" asked 1146 annoyed and with slight sarcasm, making his colleagues give themselves a mental slap in the face. "No, it didn't... our limping guy's right," replied 4989, receiving a punch from 2626. In a break room equipped with beds, the little platelet was helping the red blood cell to put on a neutrophil-uniform. It was a bit too large for her, but still better than her wet and frozen clothes. The cold was still very intense in the atmosphere, so as soon as she had changed clothes, she wrapped herself up into the blanket once again. The little girl was looking anxiously at her. AE's lips were still blue, her fingers as well, and she couldn't stop shaking. Outside the room was 1146 leaning with his back against the door and taking care that no one could enter while the erythrocyte was changing (especially 2626 and 2048). He couldn't help but hear the conversation of the two girls. "Miss... does it hurt a lot?" "A little, but don't worry, Leader-chan, I will get better," answered AE with her typical smile.  "It was so brave of you to have gone to deliver to the frozen zone... You knew you could have died, right?" When the neutrophil heard that, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. "Well, yes. But all of us have to do our jobs... Hakkekkyuu-san is always risking his life to help others, and I'm admiring him a lot for that. So I wanted to do my job right for once and help someone as well..." At the other side of the door, without him noticing it, a gentle smile appeared on 1146's face and a warm red color started dying his pale cheeks. That girl's words had once again become a balsam for the serious white soldier. Well, to be honest, at least from his part, it hadn't been love at first sight at all. No, when he had protected her from the pneumococcus, he had thought that she was "a bit weird", and when he had guided her to the lungs, "...and a bit clumsy". However, when he had seen her injured hand due to saving her coworkers at the lungs, a "...but brave" came along. And like that, he kept adding more and more positive qualities to his list every time they met: "she's kind, she's cute, she's high-spirited, she's energetic, she's polite, she's reliable, she's funny", until the arrival of the moment when all of this had become a single: "she's special". And now, from the mere thought that his "special" friend could have frozen to death, he was feeling a pain in his chest that was way worse than the one in his injured leg that was making him limp. "Sekkekkyuu, you have to be careful... What would become of this body without you? What would become of us? And... of me?" But he was abruptly pulled away from his thoughts, when an alert signal started summoning all white blood cells to the larynx and the pharynx. "Dammit, we can't leave AE-chan here all alone! What if she turns into a popsicle while we're gone?" murmured 4989. "Someone has to take care of her... someone, who's not 2048," exclaimed 2626. "Well, I wouldn't let her stay alone with the fucker with the covered eyes either," grumbled the annoyed 2048. "And what about letting the damn cripple stay with her? After all, he can't go to the battlefield like this..." suggested 4989, pointing at 1146, who showed them his middle finger as a thank-you for the "damn cripple". "Yeah, 1146 will stay behind with AE-chan," decided the three guys. 1146 didn't want to object, since, after all, they had a point: he couldn't fight in these conditions. The platelet opened the door, she had to go to the front as well. 4989 took her into his arms to carry her there, and everyone was ready to depart. But before that, 2048 covered the child's ears. "Look, 1146, we're giving you the chance, no, the honor, the privilege to take care of our sweetest, kindest and most precious girl," said 4989 with tears in his eyes. "That's true, she's a very special one. She's the red blood cell who doesn't fear us and very cute as well, so behave yourself," continued 2626. "Don't even think about taking advantage of the panic to do indecent things. You're limping right now, but no "limping" with her, understood?" asked 2048, making 1146 turn the same color as the erythrocyte's hat. "The hell is wrong with you?!!! I'm not a pervert!!!" he defended himself, while his friends were rushing off with the platelet. "Ouch!" He could hear the red blood cell yell out in pain once again. She was sitting on one of the beds, wrapped into a blanket and trying to warm up her hands. "Sekkekkyuu, why did you take off the gloves I gave you? You should..." The neutrophil saw her blue fingers and understood that the gloves weren't serving at all. He bent down in front of her, took her hands, and tried to warm them with his own and his breath. AE was mentally glad for being so cold that he wouldn't notice her blush. "Thanks, Hakkekkyu-san." He touched her cold face. The sight of her usually pink lips being now all chapped and blue was another stab to his chest. "Neither the blanket nor the clothes are helping, right?" he asked with a sigh. "They do..." "Don't lie to me, be honest." "Well, yeah, I'm still very cold, to tell the truth," the red blood cell replied shyly. "Promise me one thing, Sekkekkyuu." "Hm? Yes, sure, Hakkekkyu-san." "Don't misunderstand that and please don't talk about it to the guys..." He stood in front of her and took off his white jacket, his t-shirt and his protective gear his receptor was connected to and where the L-Selectin activator was. Now he was bare-chested and blushed when he noticed that she was covering her face with her frozen hands. Then he took his t-shirt and put it on again. "You can look, I'm not naked, I swear," he muttered with a bright red face. "What are you doing, Hakkekkyuu-san?" 1146 took her blanket, covered himself with it, sat down on the bed and hugged AE. Both were now under the same blanket. "You promised to not misunderstand," the neutrophil muttered nervously, lying down together with the still cold young woman on the narrow bed. The erythrocyte understood what he was doing: warming her up with his own body heat. The protective gear was probably isolating, so that was why he had taken it off. Now she could feel the warmth coming from the neutrophil's chest, and her hands that were resting on the white soldier's strong chest were finally starting to feel again. Without even noticing it, she pressed her face against his chest as well, searching for warmth. "You're so warm... Thank you." "N-No problem... J-Just don't fall asleep." "*yawn* Why?" "If you fall asleep, your body temperature will sink, and this will be bad for you. You should stay awake at least until your lips return to normal." "My lips? No, how scary! What about them?" The neutrophil slapped himself mentally. Right, she hadn't seen herself in the mirror. "Good job, you idiot, you scared her." "Uhm, it's nothing. They're okay." "You're lying, Hakkekkyuu-san! *sob* Am I going to die?" "No! I won't allow that! (Mental slap x3) I mean, don't be scared, your lips are just blue from the cold like your fingers, that's a sign that you were freezing. But now that your hands are regaining their feeling, it will get better, in a few minutes you will get warmer again and everything will be alright... But no falling asleep for now."  "*yawn* Okay... *yawn*" The neutrophil shot a sideways glance at the thermostat next to the door. The temperature remained dangerously low. "Shit, Sekkekkyuu will not get better, if the temperature doesn't rise soon... I am doing everything I can, but it's not enough." "Sekkekkyuu? Hey, no sleeping." "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired... no sleeping, no sleeping," she was telling to herself. "How cute." "Okay, let's talk, so you don't fall asleep. How was your day? Did you get lost? How's work?" "Oh, nothing special. Hypothermia... almost frozen to death..." "Bad conversation topic, got it. So, uuuhm, and is there something you like doing in your spare time?" "Uuuhm, I like drawing and painting when I'm home. And what about you, Hakkekkyuu-san?" "Huh, well, reading." "Singing too, said 4989..." "That blabbermouth... yes, he's right." "Hehe... I'm sure that you can sing well, Hakkekkyuu-san, I'd like to hea- Ouch!" An intense shudder shook them both. AE was trembling again. The temperature sank another degree. "Shit, shit, shit..." "Sekkekkyuu, calm down, calm down. Everything will be alright, will be alright. Don't fall asleep, give me your hands." He took her hands and tried to warm them up by blowing at them again. Her cold face was torture for him. Being a soldier, he was used to the cold, but she as a delivery girl wasn't. "It's okay, Hakkekkyuu-san. Don't worry, it's not your fault... You have already done enough by always caring for me, it's alright now. It's an honor to die in your sleep, that makes it less painful, and besides, it would be next to someone I love and admire a lot..." "Don't say that, never say that again. You won't die, I won't let you die, I already told you that everything will be alright." The erythrocyte was aware that the temperature was continuing to sink, and this was not a good sign. She was about to give up, but 1146's words had reached the very depths of her being. Hakkekkyuu was not only watching out for her physical integrity, but also somehow always taking care of her soul. "Hakkekkyuu-san, I love you very much. I'm so happy to have met you." She pressed her face against his chest and hugged him tightly, thanking him for everything he was doing for her. Despite being almost frozen, she still managed to melt the last remains of the ice barrier inside the white soldier. Almost as if it was a reflex, 1146 hugged her as well, kissing her on the forehead. "Sorry for not having been the most "pleasant" towards you, Sekkekkyuu. I know I'm always rushing off, not letting you finish your sentence, when my receptor starts beeping, and that I'm not the "kindest" one with my jokes and comments about you getting lost, it's just... I don't know, you are so..." "Clumsy?" "Sweet." "Huh?" "Yes, you're sweet. You're adorable, nice, and kind, even to the ones who aren't to you... You're special, Sekkekkyuu, and I will take care of you." "This was very cute, Hakkekkyuu-san..." Her shining amber eyes, being accentuated even more by the red strands of hair on her pale forehead, were looking lovingly into the black ones of the white soldier, who was still holding her in an embrace and hypnotized by her gaze. Even if the world should end right now, there still wouldn't be any other place he would have wanted to be. They were so close... Never before had his sweet Sekkekkyuu's mouth seemed so appealing to him. He was so lost in her eyes that he didn't even notice that her lips had regained their normal color... As they were approaching each other even more, they slowly closed their eyes almost by inertia, until meeting in a shy kiss. Barely a short, gentle contact of their lips. Then they separated, surprised by what just had happened, but without being able to utter a word nor to break off the hug. They stayed like this for a few seconds, until repeating that kiss in a perfect synchrony, as if it had been planned. But this time without breaking it off on the spot. "I knew it! So you wanted to do something to her, you pig!" 4989 kicked the door open. "Son of a bacterium... and calls us perverts!" joined 2048.  "Nope, only you," added 2626. "Shut up." "Hands off my baby!" demanded 4989, shoving 1146 together with the blanket from the bed, making him fall backwards on the floor. "Careful with Hakkekkyuu-san's leg!" complained AE. "And you, young lady, won't get away scot-free either. You're grounded for two days and no sweets!" commanded 4989. "B-B-But..." "No buts! Even holding hands is acceptable at the third date at the earliest..." scolded 4989. "Stupid..." muttered 1146 from the floor. "Wait, the floor... The floor's warm." "Of course it is, with your heat," 2626 mocked him. 1146 and AE3803 both covered her faces in shame. "Heh, in reality the warmth is coming back. And besides, a large amount of sugar and hot liquids had arrived in the stomach," confessed 2048. "I don't want to have that pervert in the same room as AE-chan. Out with you!" 4989 grabbed 1146 who was still on the floor by his wrists and dragged him into the room next door. 2048 followed him. 2626 and AE3803 were left alone in the break room. "Hehe. We were just messing with you, Miss, we already knew something like that would happen..." "How?" "There's no need to be a genius to see that 1146 loves you a lot, and we're already calling you his girlfriend for quite some time... Anyway, rest a bit more. I notified your senpai that you're alright, you won't be punished." The red blood cell laid down again. Now she could finally sleep a bit. She was still embarrassed by the jokes and everything that had happened, but glad to be alive, warm and still feeling Hakkekkyuu-san's pleasant kiss. In the meantime, 1146 was in the room next door, getting medical attention on his leg and a lot of annoying jokes from his friends. But he was thankful that his beloved Sekkekkyuu was alright. "Who was melted by whom here? Sekkekkyuu..."